Short-term let rules in Mid Devon (updated 6 Nov 2026)
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Dates we're watching for Mid Devon (1)
- Mar 2027: England short-term let register expected (GOV.UK)
Plus one short weekly UK "what changed" email.
Latest change for all England holiday lets (3 Nov 2026): Budget 2026 details confirmed: from 1 April 2027 the higher Small Business Rate Relief thresholds (100% relief up to 拢18,000 rateable value, tapering to 拢21,000) cover self-catering holiday lets that pay business rates, and mortgage interest relief rises to 24% from 6 April 2027 once Finance Bill 2026-27 passes. Source
No change specific to Mid Devon in our log (last checked 6 Nov 2026). Get free alerts for Mid Devon so you hear when that changes, plus changes that apply across England.
100% second homes council tax premium from 1 Apr 2025 (double bill). No short-let licence; England register expected Mar 2027. No Article 4 for holiday lets; Local Plan Policy DM22 covers tourism and leisure development. A small part of the district is in Dartmoor National Park (park authority planning there).
Licensing or registration
None foundNo licensing or local registration scheme. A national short-term let register for England is coming under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023; GOV.UK (updated 2 Oct 2026) says it is expected to begin in March 2027.
Until then, the main local rules are council tax or business rates, planning, and fire safety.
Source: source
Control area / planning
None foundNo short-let control area, and no Article 4 direction aimed at holiday lets: the national planning data register lists none for Mid Devon District Council (checked 6 Nov 2026). Whether letting a whole home as a short-term let is a material change of use is decided case by case.
The adopted Local Plan is the Mid Devon Local Plan Review 2013-2033 (adopted 29 Jul 2020). Policy DM22 (Tourism and leisure development) supports new or expanded tourism, visitor or leisure facilities within or adjacent to defined settlements; elsewhere the countryside location must be justified, environmental and traffic impacts minimised, character respected, existing buildings converted or replaced where appropriate, and unmet need shown.
The council's tourism/holiday-lets validation checklist asks for a business case (demand, competitors, financial forecast). A small part of the district lies in Dartmoor National Park, where the National Park Authority handles planning and the Mid Devon Local Plan does not apply; most of Mid Devon is outside the park.
Visitor levy
None foundNo visitor levy. On 4 Nov 2026 the government introduced the Visitor Levy Bill, which would let mayors and Foundation Strategic Authority leaders charge an Overnight Visitor Levy as a percentage of the accommodation price. The Bill still has to pass Parliament, so nothing applies yet.
Source: source
Fees
No short-let fees. Council tax: from 1 Apr 2025 Mid Devon charges a 100% premium on second homes (substantially furnished dwellings that are not anyone's sole or main residence), so the bill doubles.
The council's second homes page and its Empty Homes and Second Homes Premiums Policy say so, and the Tax Base Report 2025-26 records that Full Council agreed it on 21 Feb 2024. Exceptions (national rules from 1 Apr 2025) include: annexes treated as part of the main home (Class F); homes actively marketed for sale or let (Classes G and H, 12 months); probate (Class I, 12 months); job-related homes (Class J); occupied caravan pitches and boat moorings (Class K); and seasonal homes where year-round living is banned, or a planning condition limits use to holiday accommodation or stops anyone staying more than 28 days in a row (Class L).
The council's page summarises annexes, job-related accommodation and occupied caravan pitches / boat moorings, plus 12-month exceptions for sale or let, probate and seasonal homes with occupancy restrictions. Hardship can be considered under section 13A(1)(c).
Empty and substantially unfurnished homes pay a premium after 1 year since 1 Apr 2024: 100% (1 to 5 years), 200% (5 to 10 years) and 300% (10 years or more). If your holiday let meets the business rates test (available at least 140 nights and actually let at least 70 nights in the last 12 months, and you plan to offer 140 nights in the next 12), it is valued for business rates instead of council tax, so the premium does not apply.
A single let with a rateable value under 拢15,000 may get small business rate relief.
Source: source source source source source
Compare second homes council tax premiums across UK councils
What changed in Mid Devon
- Rules on this page last checked in full against the official sources listed above.
- All England lets Confirmed two Budget 2026 details for holiday lets. The higher Small Business Rate Relief thresholds from 1 April 2027 (100% relief up to 拢18,000 rateable value, tapering to 拢21,000) cover self-catering holiday lets that pay business rates, because they use the retail, hospitality and leisure definition, which includes self-catering accommodation and holiday homes. And mortgage interest relief for let property is given at the property basic rate under Finance Act 2026, so it rises to 24% from 6 April 2027 once Finance Bill 2026-27 passes. Official source
Newest first. Every UK change is in the changes log. Nothing here is legal advice: check the official source before acting.
England guides
- Do I need planning permission for a holiday let in England?
- Holiday let fire safety in England: what you need and a checklist
- Second homes council tax premium: who pays, business rates and exceptions
- London: second homes premium by borough (33 councils)
- Business rates or council tax? Occupancy threshold tracker
- How holiday lets are taxed since the FHL regime ended
Not sure what applies to your let? Use the free licence checker: pick your nation, council and type of let for a plain-English answer with the official source.
Buying here? See the buyer checks for Mid Devon: licence or registration, planning, visitor levy, business rates or council tax, plus the lender, insurance and title checks to make before you buy.
Key dates
- 29 Jul 2020: Mid Devon Local Plan Review adopted
- 21 Feb 2024: Full Council agreed the second homes premium
- 1 Apr 2024: empty homes premium after 1 year started
- 1 Apr 2025: 100% second homes premium started
- Mar 2027: England short-term let register expected (GOV.UK)
Mid Devon short-let rules: quick answers
Do I need a licence or registration for a short-term let in Mid Devon?
No licensing or local registration scheme. A national short-term let register for England is coming under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023; GOV.UK (updated 2 Oct 2026) says it is expected to begin in March 2027. Until then, the main local rules are council tax or business rates, planning, and fire safety.
Do I need planning permission for a short-term let in Mid Devon?
No short-let control area, and no Article 4 direction aimed at holiday lets: the national planning data register lists none for Mid Devon District Council (checked 6 Nov 2026). Whether letting a whole home as a short-term let is a material change of use is decided case by case. The adopted Local Plan is the Mid Devon Local Plan Review 2013-2033 (adopted 29 Jul 2020). Policy DM22 (Tourism and leisure development) supports new or expanded tourism, visitor or leisure facilities within or adjacent to defined settlements; elsewhere the countryside location must be justified, environmental and traffic impacts minimised, character respected, existing buildings converted or replaced where appropriate, and unmet need shown. The council's tourism/holiday-lets validation checklist asks for a business case (demand, competitors, financial forecast). A small part of the district lies in Dartmoor National Park, where the National Park Authority handles planning and the Mid Devon Local Plan does not apply; most of Mid Devon is outside the park.
Is there a visitor levy (tourist tax) in Mid Devon?
No visitor levy. On 4 Nov 2026 the government introduced the Visitor Levy Bill, which would let mayors and Foundation Strategic Authority leaders charge an Overnight Visitor Levy as a percentage of the accommodation price. The Bill still has to pass Parliament, so nothing applies yet.
What fees apply to short-term lets in Mid Devon?
No short-let fees. Council tax: from 1 Apr 2025 Mid Devon charges a 100% premium on second homes (substantially furnished dwellings that are not anyone's sole or main residence), so the bill doubles. The council's second homes page and its Empty Homes and Second Homes Premiums Policy say so, and the Tax Base Report 2025-26 records that Full Council agreed it on 21 Feb 2024. Exceptions (national rules from 1 Apr 2025) include: annexes treated as part of the main home (Class F); homes actively marketed for sale or let (Classes G and H, 12 months); probate (Class I, 12 months); job-related homes (Class J); occupied caravan pitches and boat moorings (Class K); and seasonal homes where year-round living is banned, or a planning condition limits use to holiday accommodation or stops anyone staying more than 28 days in a row (Class L). The council's page summarises annexes, job-related accommodation and occupied caravan pitches / boat moorings, plus 12-month exceptions for sale or let, probate and seasonal homes with occupancy restrictions. Hardship can be considered under section 13A(1)(c). Empty and substantially unfurnished homes pay a premium after 1 year since 1 Apr 2024: 100% (1 to 5 years), 200% (5 to 10 years) and 300% (10 years or more). If your holiday let meets the business rates test (available at least 140 nights and actually let at least 70 nights in the last 12 months, and you plan to offer 140 nights in the next 12), it is valued for business rates instead of council tax, so the premium does not apply. A single let with a rateable value under 拢15,000 may get small business rate relief.
Answers summarise the sections above. Follow each section's official source before acting.
More council pages in England
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